Academic Integrity - Accused of Plagiarism. Soon to be applicant.

[Med8597]

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I am currently a Senior in College who has a competitive GPA and MCAT score, with good recommendations by professors. I was just accused of academic dishonesty by one of my blowoff classes. I was careless and did not do enough paraphrasing on a relatively small assignment and was called into her office to talk about possible options for me going forward after her accusation of me plagiarizing. There wasn't much I could've done because she was right I took information from an outside source and did not cite it appropriately in my assignment for the amount of paraphrasing I did. I chose not to take the issue to Student Judicial Services and opted to take the zero on the assignment and now I have a record on file (Not on transcript, private record between me and school- so Medical Schools cannot see in application).

My Questions:
1. Will this have a large impact on my application that will be submitted this coming cycle?

2. I know there are questions such as "Were you ever the recipient of any action by any college or professional school for unacceptable academic performance (e. g. academic probation, suspension, dismissal, etc.)?".
Does my incident apply to this question since repercussion was taken by the professor and not the University Judicial Services?

Thanks for the input!

 

[LizzyM]

Look at the 2019 AMCAS Applicant Guide, page 19.

Older editions of the applicant guide had this sidebar note:
"If you are not certain whether or not you have been the subject of an institutional action, contact the registrar, student affairs officer, or other appropriate party at the institution for confirmation of your record." (2017 AMCAS Instruction Manual, page 27)

 

[Med8597]

Look at the 2019 AMCAS Applicant Guide, page 19.

Older editions of the applicant guide had this sidebar note:
"If you are not certain whether or not you have been the subject of an institutional action, contact the registrar, student affairs officer, or other appropriate party at the institution for confirmation of your record." (2017 AMCAS Instruction Manual, page 27)

Just looked into the Applicant Guide (pg.19) and it says:
"If you were ever the recipient of any institutional action by any college or medical school for unacceptable academic performance or conduct violation, you must answer Yes, even if such action did not interrupt your enrollment or require you to withdraw. Furthermore, select Yes even if the action does not appear on, or has been deleted or expunged from, your official transcripts as a consequence of institutional policy or personal petition."

Unfortunately, It's safe to assume I should include this in my application and explain my mistake with as much clarity as possible.

 

[Osminog]

There was no action by the college -- so there was no institutional action. There was an action that was strictly from your instructor. There's a difference there, no?

 

[Groggs]

Just looked into the Applicant Guide (pg.19) and it says:
"If you were ever the recipient of any institutional action by any college or medical school for unacceptable academic performance or conduct violation, you must answer Yes, even if such action did not interrupt your enrollment or require you to withdraw. Furthermore, select Yes even if the action does not appear on, or has been deleted or expunged from, your official transcripts as a consequence of institutional policy or personal petition."

Unfortunately, It's safe to assume I should include this in my application and explain my mistake with as much clarity as possible.

You should research more into what an institutional action actually is. Your case doesn't seem to be an IA, but you need to be certain as it would be a costly mistake to inproperly indicate this on your application. I was on student court at my school and certain infractions would result in punishments (such as a 0 or a meeting with admin); however, would not be considered an IA.

 

[LizzyM]

I would advise the OP to look into it. Sometimes these infractions for which one accepts a punishment of a grade of 0 on the assignment is reported and kept on file so that if it happens again in a different class, there is a record that it happened before. So, does having "a record on file" rise to the level of an institutional action. I think that the student would be wise to ask the institution.

 

[Goro]

I would advise the OP to look into it. Sometimes these infractions for which one accepts a punishment of a grade of 0 on the assignment is reported and kept on file so that if it happens again in a different class, there is a record that it happened before. So, does having "a record on file" rise to the level of an institutional action. I think that the student would be wise to ask the institution.

There is always the risk that a LOR writer will inadvertently out the candidate ("Med8597 has grown so much as a person since the plagiarism incident"). I've seen it hap[pen and we've rejected people outright for it.

IF this also leads to a F grade in a sea of As, then that also stands out like a black spot on a white canvas.

 

[Med8597]

Thanks for all the responses, you have all been very helpful.

I found this graphic from my Universities website and have attached it to this comment, maybe this will give some more insight on my Universities policy and definition of the IA for my incidence.

What do you all think?

 

[LizzyM]

It looks to me that you have a disciplinary record no matter what happens after an instructor speaks to you about academic integrity. If there is any chance that the information in your disciplinary record could end up in a mandatory Dean's letter that would be required by a med school, you should disclose. Failing to disclose and getting caught later could wind up killing your entire application cycle as you are required to attest that what you list in the AAMC application is accurate and complete.

 

[DubbiDoctor]

Thanks for all the responses, you have all been very helpful.

I found this graphic from my Universities website and have attached it to this comment, maybe this will give some more insight on my Universities policy and definition of the IA for my incidence.

What do you all think?

If you sign the "faculty disposition" (what bizarre jargon), then it seems that you will have an institutional action on your record, as the school will maintain a "disciplinary record" for seven years, which they can send to AMCAS. Since you're applying to medical school, I would advice you to seek professional advice before signing the "faculty disposition". Top Rated Local Education Law Attorneys or Law Firms - Lawyers.com Speak to the dean right away, explaining your situation, and respectfully contend that, due to the inadvertent nature of the alleged violation, you believe that a formal disciplinary action is unwarranted. Even if you do receive the IA, med school acceptance is not foreclosed for you. You will just need to clearly explain the violation in your secondaries, expressing remorse and emphasizing what you have learned from the experience.

EDIT: Reading the flow chart again, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't dispute the allegation. If what you say is true, then your actions were careless but don't constitute intentional plagiarism. If you accept the allegation, you sign the faculty disposition, thereby receiving an IA. And then the office of the dean reviews the disposition and determines whether to sanction you further. They may decide not to sanction you further, but the flow chart does not indicate that they may reject the faculty disposition itself, revoking your IA.

But if you refuse to sign the disposition, disputing the allegation, the office of the dean will still review the allegation and determine whether to sanction you. But they may also, it seems, reject the allegations altogether. In other words, signing the disposition guarantees that you will receive the IA. But if you dispute the IA, and the office of the dean agrees with you, then you will not receive an IA.

 

[Med8597]

If you sign the "faculty disposition" (what bizarre jargon), then it seems that you will have an institutional action on your record, as the school will maintain a "disciplinary record" for seven years, which they can send to AMCAS. Since you're applying to medical school, I would advice you to seek professional advice before signing the "faculty disposition". Speak to the dean right away, explaining your situation, and respectfully contend that, due to the inadvertent nature of the alleged violation, you believe that a formal disciplinary action is unwarranted. Even if you do receive the IA, med school acceptance is not foreclosed for you. You will just need to clearly explain the violation in your secondaries, expressing remorse and emphasizing what you have learned from the experience.

EDIT: Reading the flow chart again, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't dispute the allegation. If what you say is true, then your actions were careless but don't constitute intentional plagiarism. If you accept the allegation, you sign the faculty disposition, thereby receiving an IA. And then the office of the dean reviews the disposition and determines whether to sanction you further. They may decide not to sanction you further, but the flow chart does not indicate that they may reject the faculty disposition itself, revoking your IA.

But if you refuse to sign the disposition, disputing the allegation, the office of the dean will still review the allegation and determine whether to sanction you. But they may also, it seems, reject the allegations altogether. In other words, signing the disposition guarantees that you will receive the IA. But if you dispute the IA, and the office of the dean agrees with you, then you will not receive an IA.

I have sent an email to my advisor to try and work from the inside to get an appointment with the Dean, as I attend a very large university and the possibility of meeting with them on an urgent basis might be difficult than if I attended a smaller university.

I am also planning on talking with my professor again before I sign the disposition because when we met she said she "didn't want to ruin four years of academic performance and my pursuit to Medical School" and made it clear that the infraction would not be put on my transcript so therefore "Medical Schools wouldn't see it" when they looked though my application. I think she might be a little more merciful if she finds it might have an impact on my application process.

Thanks for the insightful input.